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Instructional Planning Activity Types as

Vehicles for Curriculum-Based TPACK Development
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Judi Harris & Mark Hofer
School of Education
College of William & Mary in Virginia
United States





Introduction: TPACK Video

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"TPACK in 3 minutes" by roycekimmons

Introduction:

According to Harris and Hofer, TPACK is the “intersection of teachers’ knowledge of curriculum content, general pedagogies, and technologies,” (2).

More concretely, TPACK is the point at which all of the following types of knowledge meet:
1. Pedagogical Content Knowledge
(How do you teach particular content-based material?)
2. Technological Content Knowledge
(How do you select and use technologies to communicate particular content knowledge)
3. Technological Pedagogical Knowledge
(How do you use particular technologies when teaching?)

Factors that shape those 3 types of knowledge:
  • culture
  • socioeconomic status
  • school organizational structures

Instructional Planning

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  • Effective teaching?


    • Pedagogical content knowledge
      • Based on how much a teacher knows of the content AND the knowledge of teaching to students/contexts
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  • Planning

    • Contextually sensitive
      • Depends highly on the student demographics
      • Activity-based - especially surrounding technology
        • Instruction with a well-integrated focus on technologies should be curriculum-specific and activity-focused
  • Instructional Decisions to make:

    1. Choose learning goals
    2. Make pedagogical decisions about what the learning experience will be
    3. Select and sequence activities that shows how students are learning
    4. Select tools and resources that will assist students through the learning experience

Developing TPACK Using Learning Activity Types


Each activity type hold the most important part about the structure of a particular kind of learning action as it relates to what students do when they are engaged in learning.

Some of these activities can be:
  • Group discussions
  • Role play
  • Fieldtrips

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These activities work as communication tools that can be combined to create lesson plans, units and projects in order for teachers to build their TPACK.

To develop TPACK the curriculum-based learning goal and activity designs are first made and then the educational technology selections are made. By using this method the technologies selected will best serve the learning goals and activities in order to maximize student learning.

Content Knowledge - knowledge about the subject matter (e.g. history)

Pedagogical Knowledge - educational processes, teaching strategies, teaching methods, etc. in which teaching and learning play a central role

Technological Knowledge - knowledge about technologies, how they work and how it can be used to support learning


Sample Activity Types


Discusses the Activity Types in a Social Studies classroom
  • These activity types are stated in three different categories for 3 different purposes
    • Expressions of knowledge
    • Convergent knowledge
    • Divergent knowledge
  • This paper defines 42 social studies types
      • 13 are focused on Expressions of knowledge
      • 6 are focused on Convergent knowledge
      • 23 are focused on Divergent knowledge

Expressions of knowledge-

These activities are used when teachers want to build social studies content and have students process that knowledge

Activity Type
Brief Description
Possible Technologies
Read Text
Students extract information from textbooks, historical documents, census data, etc; both print-based and digital formats
Websites, E-books
View Presentation
Students gain information from teachers, guest speakers, and peers; synchronous/asynchronous, oral or multimedia
PowerPoint, Photostory,iMovie, MovieMaker, Inspiration, videoconferencing
View Images
Students examine both still and moving 9video, animations) images; print-based or digital format
PPT, Word, Photostory, Bubbleshare, Tabblo, Flickr
Listen to Audio
Students listen to recordings of speeches, music, radio broadcasts, oral histories, lectures; digital or non-digital
Podcasts, Audacity, Garageband, Odeo, Evoca, Podcast People
Group Discussion
In small to large groups, students engage in dialogue with their peers; synchronous/asynchronous
BlackBoard, discussion in Wikispaces, e-boards
Field Trip
Students travel to physical or virtual sites; synchronous/asynchronous
Virtual fieldtrips, Photostory to develop their own virtual tours
Simulation
Students engage in paper-based or digital experiences which mirror the complexity of the real world
Civilization, Revolution!, Fantasy Congress
Debate
Students discuss opposing viewpoints; formal/informal; structure/unstructured; synchronous/asynchronous
BlackBoard, discussion in Wikispaces, e-boards
Research
Students gather, analyze and synthesize information using print-based and digital sources
Digital archives, Google Notebook, Inspiration to structure
Conduct and Interview
Face to face, on the telephone, or via email students question someone on a chosen topic; may be digitally recorded and shared
Audacity, MovieMaker, iMovie, digital camera
Artifact-Based Inquire
Students explore a topic using physical or virtual artifacts
Digital Archives
Data-Based Inquiry
Using print-based and digital data available online students pursue original lines of inquire
CIA World Factbook, Thomas, census data, Excel, Inspire Data
Historical Chain
Students sequence print and digital documents in chronological order
Bubbleshare, Photostory, Moviemaker
Historical Weaving
Students piece together print and digital documents to develop a story
Word, Scrapblog, Google Pages, Historical Scene Investigation (HSI)
Historical Prism
Students explore print-based and digital documents to understand multiple perspectives on a topic
Wikispaces, Google Pages, Inspiration using links
*Table (Harris & Hofer)*

Convergent knowledge-

These activities should be used when teachers think it is appropriate for all students to come to a similar understanding of the material- this is mainly used in conjunction with formative and summative assessments

Activity Type
Brief Description
Possible Technologies
Answer Questions
Students respond to questions using traditional question sets or worksheets, or through the use of an electronic discussion board, email or chat
Inspiration, Word, BlackBoard, e-boards
Create a Timeline
Students sequence events on a printed or electronic timeline or through a web page or multimedia presentation
Timeliner, Photostory, Word, Bubbleshare
Create a Map
Students label existing maps or produce their own; print-based materials or digitally
PowerPoint, Google Earth
Complete Charts/Tables
Students fill in teacher-created charts and tables or create their own in traditional ways or using digital tools
Word, Inspiration, PowerPoint
Complete a Review Activity
Students engage in some form of question and answer to review content; paper-based to game-show format using multimedia presentation tools
PRS systems, Jeopard (or other games) on PowerPoint, survey tools like Survey Monkey
Take a Test
Students demonstrate their knowledge through paper-based, traditional format to computer-generated and scored assessments
Scantron forms
*Table (Harris & Hofer)*

Divergent knowledge-

These activities are used when the teacher wants students to come to the own understanding of a subject as well as express those opinions.

Written Activity Types:

Activity Type
Brief Description
Possible Technologies
Write an essay
Students compose a structured written response to a prompt; paper and pencil or word processed; text-based or multimedia
Word, Inspiration, Wikispaces (to track contributions from multiple authors)
Write a Report
Students author a report on a topic in traditional or more creative format using text or multimedia elements
Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Google Pages
Generate a Historical Narrative
Using historical documents and secondary source info, students develop their own story of the past
Word, Wikispaces, or Google Docs (to track contributions from multiple authors), blogs
Craft a Poem
Students create poetry, paper and pencil or word processed; text-based or multimedia
Photostory, Moviemaker, iMovie, PowerPoint, VoiceThread
Crate a Diary
Students write from a first-hand perspective about an event from the past; paper and pencil or digital format
Blogs, Word, Google Docs, Google Pages
*Table (Harris &Hofer)*


Visual Activity Types:


Activity Type
Brief Description
Possible Technologies
Create an Illustrate Map
Students use picture, symbols, graphics to highlight key features in creating an illustrated map
Google Earth, PowerPoint
Create a Picture/Mural
Students create a physical or virtual image or mural
Paint, Photoshop
Draw a Cartoon
Students create a drawing or caricature using a paper and pencil or digital format
Comic Creator, DFILM video, digital cameras
*Table (Harris & Hofer)*


Conceptual Activity Types:


Activity Types
Brief Description
Possible Technologies
Develop a Knowledge Web
Using teacher or student created webs, students organize information in a visual/spatial manner; written or digital format
Inspiration, PowerPoint, Word, Imagination Cubed
Generate Questions
Students develop questions related to course material/concepts
Word, Wikispaces or Google Docs (to track contributions from multiple authors)
Develop a Metaphor
Students devise a metaphorical representation of a course topic/idea
Wikispaces (to track contributions), Inspiration
*Table (Harris & Hofer)*


Product-Oriented Activity Types:


Activity Type
Brief Description
Possible Technologies
Produce an Artifact
Students create a 3D or virtual artifact
Imaging tools
Build a Model
Students develop a written or digital mental model of a course concept/process
Inspiration, PowerPoint, Inspire Data
Design an Exhibit
Students synthesize key elements of a topic in a physical or virtual exhibit
Wikispaces, PowerPoint, Scrapblog, Bubbleshare
Create a Newspaper/News Magazine
Students synthesize course information in the form of a periodical; print-based or electronic
Word, Letterpop, Scrapblog, Bubbleshare
Create a Game
Students develop a game, in paper or digital form, to help students learn content
Word, Puzzlemaker, Imaging tools, We design software
Create a Film
Using some combination of still images, motion video, music and narration students produce their own movies
Photostory, Moviemaker, iMovie
*Table (Harris & Hofer)*


Participatory Activity Types:


Activity Types
Brief Description
Possible Technologies
Do a Presentation
Students share their understanding with others; oral or multimedia approach; synchronous or asynchronous
PowerPoint, Photostory, Moviemaker, iMovie, Audacity
Engage in Historical Role Play
Students impersonate a historical figure; live, video-taped, or recorded
Moviemaker, iMOvie, Audacity, digital camera
Do a Performance
Students develop a live or recorded performance (oral, music, drama, etc.)
Photostory, Moviemaker, iMovie, Audacity
Engage in Civic Action
Students write government representatives or engage in some other form of civic action
Web, email, videoconferencing
*Table (Harris & Hofer)*

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Combining Activity Types


Although these activities can work really well on their own- their true power comes from combining them together to form more complex units and/or projects.

Below are some examples of how the authors suggest combining different numbers of activity types to a unit:

· Combining 1 – 2 activity types usually produces a class time-efficient, highly structured, and easily repeatable experience, comprised primarily of convergent learning activities. It is completed often in just one or two class periods.
· Combining 2 – 3 activity types yields a class time-efficient, yet longer duration learning activity that is more flexibly structured, and is comprised often of more divergent learning activities.
· Combining 3 – 5 activity types produces a medium-term, somewhat structured, both convergent and divergent exploration of curriculum-based content and process.
· Combining 5 – 8 activity types forms a learning experience of variable length that is a somewhat structured, yet flexible, and usually mostly divergent exploration of content and process.
· Combining 6 – 10 activity types creates a learning experience of rather flexible duration, structure, and content and process goals. It is the longest and most complex of these combinations, and therefore would be planned relatively infrequently for use in most classrooms.
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Example Unit



Sixth-grade history teachers Julie Bray and Darlene Russell employed the principles of combining activity types in response to learning goals in a student project entitled, “Civil War Voices Wall. The project aimed to get students engaged in Civil War history and to allow them to understand various perspectives of people who lived through the war. To achieve this end, and to make the learning experience more interesting and engaging than a traditional research project, the teachers had students create video documentaries on selected characters from the Civil War according to a highly structured process that included both formative and summative assessment, continuous feedback, and eight different activity types.

The activities were separated into three stages as follows:

1. Research Stage
Students researched their subjects using print sources supplied by the teachers and web sources bookmarked by the teachers before the project. They procured appropriate images for their presentations by using online image searches and scanning pictures from relevant books. Students took organized notes on index cards according to a standardized format.

2. Writing Stage
Students sections of their documentary scripts (such as introduction or the “defining moment” of their characters’ war experiences) in a journal, on which they received feedback at home from their parents and at school from their teachers during assigned writing blocks.

3. Production Stage
At the end of the writing stage, students had complete scripts and proceeded to storyboard the scripts using their index-card notes and scanned/printed images. They also selected music, titles, effects, transitions, etc. for the presentation as they created their paper-based storyboards. Using these storyboards as plans for their documentaries, they compiled brief films using Microsoft’s Moviemaker software and then screened their films in class as review for the Civil War unit final exam.

The project employed the following activity types: reading text, viewing images, researching, answering questions, historical weaving, creating a diary, engaging in historical role play, and creating a film. While many of these activities served as formative assessments, the final product was a complex, comprehensive summative assessment of their efforts. The whole project, though complex, was broken into smaller, highly structured pieces to make achievement of the learning goals possible and easily measurable. Furthermore, the project was not technocentric - each of the activities served to promote the ends of the lesson, resulting in the employment of a mix of digital and non-digital tools throughout the project’s three stages.

Source:
Bray, J., Russell, D., & Hofer, M. (2006). Civil War voice wall project. Retrieved October 17, 2008, from http://www.ddguild.org/examples/voicewall/

Conclusion:

  • TPACK is challenging for teachers, it requires
    • Detailed planning
    • Numerous decisions to make
  • “Technocentric” (Seymour Papert, 1987) instruction
    technology + teaching gone wrong=
  • Technology becomes the primary focus, not thecontent, curriculum or students themselves
  • The ultimate goal of using TPACK is to align student accessible,content rich lessons with the appropriate instructional technologies that besthelp students learn.


Assessment:

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